Saturday night I got to celebrate this ﻿milestone﻿ in the best way possible–playing these songs to a room full of friends. And I do mean full.

Arcadia was jam-packed for the EP release show on Saturday, starting out with a standing-room-only crowd. I was so happy to see you, and you, and you, in the room. I could feel the energy and I’m convinced that energy makes for a better performance. I’m sure the staff at Arcadia felt absolutely no energy when the night was through because they were running hard to keep up. Thanks guys!

Somehow in the midst of the madness, Darren and/or his team at Arcadia tweeted this little video out.

A bar full of ﻿thanks﻿.

I sent a lot of personal invites for this show, and that seems to have worked. For every person who had a family visit or a late Thanksgiving dinner or a Kanye West show to attend, there was another who was able to make it. I’m grateful for that.

I’m grateful for Tim LaRiviere who has put so many hours in to see my music succeed. He plays bass on Wherever You Are and Santa Fe on the EP. He lets me sing into his expensive mic and teaches me how to make a mix sound good. He blessed me with a set of real live studio monitors when he upgraded his. He knows about things like ‘phasing’. Tim's wife Tonia is always a gracious host when I trudge down into their basement for another tracking session. So thank you Tonia and thank you Tim! Also, their cat Ping-Ping deserves a shout out for some friendly nuzzles.

I’m grateful for my sister Nevada who sang with me at the show, and her husband Trevor who always has something encouraging to say. I’m grateful for Lora Jol, a great artist in her own right, for being so willing to lend harmonies at the last minute to Would Not Trade.

It seems so clichè to thank God as a musician, but I have to say, a little prayer and Bible reading went a long way last week to keep me sane and humble. Any performer needs some way to stay grounded and reminded what is important, regardless of how a show or release turns out. I certainly find that grounding in my faith.

My wife Christie deserves lion’s share of thanks on this list. She gave me time she didn’t have to give last week to practice. And that’s pretty much the story at all times. She didn’t tell me I was crazy for wanting to sew my own bow tie the night before the show. She sold merch and took door money. Whenever I look out from the stage and catch her eye at a show, it’s a very good moment.

I’m ﻿still﻿ not sure where this music thing will take me, but I’m glad to be moving forward.

I’m thankful for Gillian Welch for writing the incredible song Everything is Free, reminding me that I’m not the only one wondering if I’ll ever make a dollar from this. I’m thankful for Sylvan Esso + Flock of Dimes for pointing me towards the original with their wonderful cover.

“Someone hit the big score, figured it out, But we’re gonna do it anyway, even if it doesn’t pay"